SALT LAKE CITY, May 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Central Utah Clinic today announced a new collaborative care initiative to advance the health of patients and their experience with Central Utah Clinic (CUC). Regence and CUC have joined forces to implement an innovative payment model to deliver better health outcomes and lower health care costs. This is one of many accountable health care arrangements committed to fostering collaborative physician-patient relationships in development within the Regence family of companies in Utah, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

The accountable health program with Central Utah Clinic includes a shared incentive arrangement in which CUC and Regence will use data and quality measures to improve health care outcomes for Regence members cared for at Central Utah Clinic.

This new initiative is part of a suite of innovative reimbursement models offered by Regence to address the quality and affordability of health care services for its members. Since 2007, Regence has worked with providers and employers throughout its four-state region to implement collaborative care models, including the Intensive Outpatient Care Program (IOCP) in Washington. These different collaborative models reflect Regence's interest in enabling different types of provider organizations to participate in our efforts to improve our healthcare system. Regence recently announced an Accountable Health partnership in Oregon with Adventist Health.

"Central Utah Clinic is a community-minded partner and we are pleased to further our collaboration with them to improve health outcomes for our members and to support the physician-patient relationship that's critical to the transformation of the health care system," said Jennifer Danielson, president of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah.

"Central Utah Clinic is excited to have additional data elements to help us better understand, plan and provide improved care to the over 300,000 patients we have the privilege to treat. We've never had tools to help us actually study the outcomes and cost of different care pathways. With the tools developed by Regence, we can match up care data to outcomes-based results and focus on models of care to give consumers the best care experience possible," said Scott Barlow, CEO, Central Utah Clinic. "This is a giant step forward in health care delivery that will benefit all the patients we treat throughout the State."

Regence is currently developing additional collaborative arrangements with doctors and hospitals in a variety of ways that adapt to and support the readiness of providers to engage in these models. The company will soon announce new collaborative care arrangements in other states.

By providing a full suite of engagement models, Regence is able to foster a more collaborative, person-focused health care system to improve the health of communities and keep care affordable.

About Regence BlueCross BlueShield of UtahRegence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah is a leading health plan in Utah, with more than 330,000 members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and is affiliated with Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Together, the companies serve more than two million members in the Northwest/Intermountain Region. The Regence affiliated companies are committed to improving the health of its members and communities, and to transforming the health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com.

About Central Utah ClinicAs Utah's largest group of independent physicians, Central Utah Clinic values first and foremost the quality of care patients receive and their right to participate with their physician in treatment decisions. Central Utah Clinic has a patient population of over 330,000 citizens served by160 physicians and 1,100 staff members. Patients have access to 23 specialties as well as primary care and urgent care services. Central Utah Clinic operates 64 offices in Utah and works to ensure adequate healthcare resources exist in the communities it serves. The Clinic offers outreach to 17 rural communities. Central Utah Clinic partners with members of the healthcare community with whom we share common values integrity and principles. For more information, please visit www.centralutahclinic.com.